a. Field of Invention
This invention pertains to a multiprocessor image system which automatically performs realtime analysis on a scanned image to determine quality and acceptability of the digital image and the scanner. The image may then be instantly rejected, if its image enhancement does not improve the output image. The system is particularly adapted for high volume electronic storage and/or transmission of compressed images for example documents, facsimile, drawings, and so on, and it also automates image centering and cropping.
b. Description of the Prior Art
The art of image processing and data storage has evolved to a stage whereby a large volume of images can be stored and rapidly retrieved electronically. This procedure is advantageous because the electronic storage and retrieval of images is much quicker and more space efficient and cost effective than the storage of hard copies or even microfilms of the documents.
Furthermore, the electronic images can be reproduced without limit and stored for a relatively long time period while hard copies or duplicate microfilms deteriorate rapidly. However, before the images of the documents are stored electronically, they must be checked to insure that they provide meaningful information, or in other words that they are of acceptable quality. There is no reason to process and store images which are so poor that they can not restore essential information.
Presently, this quality control can be accomplished only by questionable visual inspection, which admitted the poor images. Thus typically, each hard copy, or the microfilm must be visually examined by a well trained person before the image conversion and storage occurs. Of course, this type of operation is quite expensive and time consuming, i.e. several minutes vs. milliseconds of this invention.
Similarly, the practice of transmitting information through electronic data transmission, including facsimile communications, has become wide spread and in effect has revolutionized the manner in which documents are exchanged between various parts of the world. However, up to now there was no way to determine either before transmission or after reception whether the quality of a compressed image met any minimal standards without an actual visual inspection. However, frequently such inspection is not immediately possible, for example, if the transmission occurs over great distances spanning several time zones.